


A Neverending Dream

by firelord



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fairy Realm!AU, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic, Magical Creatures, Moral Ambiguity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Very Mild Gore, fairy!donghyuck, human!mark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-01-25 15:43:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21358678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelord/pseuds/firelord
Summary: Mark brings the cage up to look inside. There, inside, there is the strangest creature Mark has ever seen. It’s a human, moreless, or at least it’s shaped as one – dimensions aside. But as if that isn’t enough, as if that isn’t already something difficult to believe in, this little person is glowing. A warm golden glow lights up the cage and Mark’s hands, like a small flame that moves, a small flame that walks, a small flame that talks and is speaking to Mark right now.« Listen to me, human hunter, you can’t hurt me! Try to touch me and I’ll kill you! »( or the story of how Mark entered the fairy realm and got engaged to a fairy prince )
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, side ships - Relationship
Comments: 26
Kudos: 100





	1. ⌠ ONE ⌡

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, it's me, Sof, and I'm here to waste your time with my newest work!  
I've been into fairy lore since I was a child and I've had this idea running through my mind for months, so I'm really excited about sharing the first chapter with you all. This story is going to be quite long, tags are subject to changes as the story is going to get a bit darker as it goes on.  
As for the first one I put up there, "Moral Ambiguity", it's related to the fact that fairies have very different morals compared to humans, so I though it would be fitting to write that down to make sure everyone is aware of it.  
Still, if you have any questions feel free to ask either in the comments or on my links at the bottom of this chapter.  
When it comes to traditional faery lore, the stuff that you could find in actual books, I will say that I mostly used them as an inspiration, but I decided to shape the realm and its rules and traditions more based on what I think is useful for the story than on how it's supposed to be. Does it make sense? I hope it does.  
Special thanks to my bubis, especially Bummie and Martina for coercing me into posting this and for listening to me ramble about plot and worldbuilding, you guys are amazing.
> 
> But I won't keep you here any longer, please enjoy :)

The day before Mark walks away from home, the clouds are filled with rain and water pours down the windows of the orphanage, drops chasing each other to see who reaches the floor first.

He sits there, on the windowsill, tracing their path with a finger. It’s unusual for the sky to be dark and grey in April, but the nuns said that this year spring is going to come late, that the soil is going to be damp with rain far along into May. At first Mark thought it was just an excuse (why let the children go out and play when they could stay home to work and study?), but he’s proven wrong as the rain keeps on falling, day after day, for the whole month.

He's tired, he has to leave, but the place is holding onto him, keeping him glued between its walls, stuck behind closed doors, on old beds, underneath the feeble light of the candelabra and on the hard wood of the faldstools.

The stone walls are big and cold, lighted by the fire, and Mark’s eyes follow the shadows casted on them, the way they move to form figures, words in a language Mark doesn’t understand, the one of the creatures of the woods, of the trolls and the drafts and the fairies.

He chuckles as he remembers the stories the older kids used to tell him when he was a child, about men and women that light up the night as they dance, together, in a faraway place, in another world. He used to believe them, sneak out from his room at night to look out of the window at the forest that surrounds the village, hoping to catch sight of a small thing with wings, or a beautiful woman as pale as the moon.

Then he thinks about the time a nun hit Minseok’s fingers with a ruler for sharing stories of the devil and mislead the faith of the children, and he doesn’t chuckle anymore. They’re strict, old women and their wrinkles scared Mark so much as a child, he used to hide under his bed to prevent them from catching him. Still, uncaring about the punishments, he told those same stories when it was his time to take care of the younger kids. He whispered them when the lights were down, under the covers, as the children laid their heads on his chest, grabbed his clothes and asked him to _tell us more, please, just another story before we sleep_.

Mark doesn’t believe in fairytales anymore, and he wonders if Minseok did the same when he used to tell Mark to watch out for the trolls, if he accepted to be beaten up because he thought it was important that Mark knew the stories, that he dreamed about something different, magical, better. Something more than these cold walls and gloomy weather.

Minseok is somewhere far away, like most of the kids who used to take care of Mark when he was a child, and he will never see him again. The children who are having dinner right now, in the kitchen, will also never see Mark again. It’s a cycle, you’re bound to watch people leave until it’s your turn to go, to grow up and challenge what’s outside. And Mark has waited long enough, he’s turning twenty this year. It’s time.

« Lost in your thoughts? »

A voice asks, melodious, and Mark doesn’t turn around. He waits as the person moves, the sound of her steps bouncing against the walls, all over the room, as she sits down next to him, eyes staring outside. The grey light of rainy days doesn’t look good on Mina’s pale complexion, just like it probably doesn’t look good on Mark’s, but she’s still pretty, still young, blooming like a rose in May.

Mark doesn’t answer.

« When are you leaving? »

She asks again, arms circling her knees, pushing them towards her chest. A shield, one last defense from the knives that are Mark’s words.

« As soon as the weather allows, » he answers this time, watching as she skillfully conceals the hurt from her face, « maybe tomorrow, too. »

She hums and lets herself fall back against the wall, eyes sad as they run away from Mark’s, into the woods, where he can’t catch her to ask if she’s alright.

« It’s final, then. »

It has always been final, they’re both aware. Mark has never wanted to stay, it’s the reason Mina liked him in the first place. She liked him because he was always climbing trees to look further away, play the knight who must defeat the dragon, and then an army, and then climb up a mountain to save the princess. She played the princess. She liked him when he used to lay next to her in her bed and tell her about the countries he was going to visit one day, about how he was going to board a ship and touch the salted water of the sea.

She was enchanted at first, when he told her about the rest of the world, then she got worried, and then she didn’t want to hear him say it anymore. But she always knew that he was going to leave, and that he was going to do it alone.

« And you’re never coming back? »

It doesn’t sound hopeful, just resigned, because she knows Mark’s answer already. He shakes his head and she hum, acknowledging him. _No one can come back_, he wants to say, _no one ever did_, but it would be a lie. He could, potentially, leave to go find a job in the bigger town, buy a house, and then come back to pick her up. Mark knows that she would need just that, a promise, to wait. Just like she waited for hours for him to finish his escapades as a knight so that he could save her, she would probably wait years for him to give her the life she desires, the one a girl like her deserves.

« What are you going to do, in the future? »

He asks then, and her smile is bitter an doesn’t reach her eyes. Mina is beautiful when she smiles. For a moment he thinks she’s going to snap at him, asks him why he cares when he obviously doesn’t care about her _enough_. But Mina is not like that, and she just sighs.

« I’ll stay here. Take the vows, maybe. »

It’s an option she has, as a girl, to become a nun too. She looks so pretty in her colorful dresses, though, Mark doesn’t think she would suit the black tunic. He hopes that maybe, once he’s gone, she will find someone else to marry, to have children with. Someone that could give her everything Mark never gave her in the first place.

And as he watches her walk away, down the corridor to cry in her bed one last time, Mark wishes he was already gone, that he was never there in the first place.

❀

The day Mark walks away from home, the sun peaks from the clouds and leads the way.

It’s a sign, really, that the morning sun warms the dewy blades of grass as he leaves his past behind.

They let him go reluctantly, but they didn’t have a choice. As a grown man, Mark can’t stay in the orphanage anymore, not even if the kids hug his legs and ask him not to go, to play some more. All the big kids leave, some do so as they turn eighteen, others later, but they all have to say goodbye. It’s always a loss, strong arms are useful to work in the garden and fix broken windows, but if the girls are allowed to take the vows and stay, the boys have no choice but to pack their things.

Mark does so before his twentieth birthday, he fills a sack with his belongings, the few he has, and gets ready to leave. A kid tugs at his sleeve, and when he looks down, she has a flower in her hand.

« To remember us when you’re away. »

She says, and Mark thanks her and pets her head lovingly. Everyone is out to say their goodbye to him, and the nuns offer him a prayer, emotions well concealed under their stern expressions. Mark is not sure they even feel, at this point, but maybe they’re just very good at faking indifference.

Mina didn’t come, she’s the only one missing, but Mark understands, and he feels her eyes on him as he walks away from the building, up from one of the windows. He doesn’t turn back.

The town is on top of a hill, surrounded by the forest. “_One of the biggest in the country”, _said a nun one time she caught him staring at the faraway trees, “_it’s full of the devil’s creatures. Stay away”_. Mark knows he has to leave soon, if he doesn’t want to get lost in there at night.

But plans never work out, especially Mark’s.

He didn’t take into consideration the fact that it’s Sunday, and on Sunday there’s the market in town. Market trough which he has to walk if he wants to continue down the patway that leads to the border of the village. Market that is full of people trying to get his attention, full of people that Mark has learned to know in his trips to pick up groceries. Full of people that are always willing to give him a coin if he helps moving cases from one stand to another.

« Mark! » Comes a voice from his left. There, in the midst of cases full of fruits, stands a man in his thirties, hair kept away from his forhead by an old, white band and a big smile on his face. Donghae, Mark knows him well. « What are you doing here? The old witches sent you to pick up stuff, didn’t they? »

Mark walks closer, picks up an apple, takes a bite. Donghae glares at him, but it’s playful and he doesn’t comment.

« No, I’m leaving. »

He points to his bag as a proof. Donghae knows well what that means, he was one of the older kids when Mark was just a child. He found a job working for the old man who had the fruit stand at the market, and since the guy didn’t have children, he left everything to him when he died. Many envy his luck, the fact that Donghae has a stable job, gets to have a warm meal every night and spare coins to buy new shoes every winter, but Mark is sure his life also has downsides. He’s stuck in a routine, traveling from one little village to the other and then starting again in a cycle.

Some people crave the tranquility of a simple life, Mark doesn’t.

« It was about time, boy! » Donghae says, and then he leans closer, as if he’s telling a secret. « Look, if you want, I’m in need of some help here, I could use an extra pair of hands. »

Mark shakes his head. There will be kids ready to pick up on Donghae’s offer, but Mark is not one of them and they’re both aware of it. Mark wants to travel to bigger cities, live a different life than the small village one. Maybe reach the capital, the palace, work for the King. He wants to leave this town forever, to never come back.

« Thank you, Hae, but you know I can’t. »

Donghae scrolls his shoulders.

« It was worth a try. You’re smart and a hard worker, I’m sure you’ll find something better to do. » He fixes the sleeves of his shirt, then, already rolled up, even higher, and crosses his arms against his chest. « Well, I guess you will need some money for your trip, though, and I still need some help, so what do you say? »

This, this Mark can do. His little pouch of coins wouldn’t mind to be a bit heavier, especially if he wants to travel far. How much time could it ever take?

❀

Too much, definetly too much.

When Mark finally steps out of the village, sweaty and a little tired from working, it’s already late afternoon. At least he gained some more money, but if he rents a room at the inn to rest and leave in the morning he’s going to spend it all right away. He can’t go back to the orphanage, if he does he’s never going to leave again, not to do this anyway. There’s only one thing to do, and it’s to leave right now. A lot of travelers pass through the forest at night, and even if Mark doesn’t have a carriage to speed up the process, he’s not dumb enough to leave the path.

Right?

Right.

That’s the pep talk he gives himself as he steps in the trees, the sun shining between the leaves and drawing shapes on the grass and the pathway. The air is chill under the shadow of the trees, and Mark knows it won’t get any better as the night approaches, so he wraps his cloak closer around himself and starts walking.

_Movement will warm me up_, he thinks, and he walks faster on the uneven soil.

He doesn’t stop to rest, he doesn’t stop to eat and he doesn’t stop when the night falls. In the dark, he lets the pale light of the moon guide him as he carefully steps between the trees. She’s full, tonight, and she caresses his face like the comforting mother that Mark never had. He looks up at her, sometimes, and he imagines her smiling at him with warm eyes, looking at him from above. Family, the warmth of arms wrapped around him, of soft lips on his head, a melodious voice singing him to sleep. _Moon, are you going to be my mother?_

The forest is spooky at night. It’s vaguely quiet, just owls calling each other and the sound of Mark’s steps. He thinks back to all the stories they tell in the village about this place. To all the fairytales Minseok liked to whisper to him when he was a kid.

_There are trolls in the forest_, he used to say, _and they like to eat humans alive. They’ll cut your limbs and eat them like chicken thighs, and they’ll spit out only the bones._

Mark is well past the age to believe in trolls, but he still gets chills down his back as he swims in the dark of the night. It feels like someone’s watching him, fireflies in the dark looking like bright eyes, and maybe he’s more scared than he’d like to think.

He walks faster, looking only at his feet, and that’s when he hears it. It’s a cry. A high-pitched voice, but it definitely sounds human. He stops and listens, but everything is quiet again. Maybe it was just his imagination, it’s late and he has been walking for hours, he shouldn’t give too much credit to his hearing.

But then he hears it again. He thinks back to Minseok and the trolls, to the nuns and their scary stories about the devil, and he’s temped to run as fast as he can. But then he thinks that maybe, just maybe, he’s not alone in this forest and someone needs his help.

He takes a tentative step out of the pathway – _don’t do that_, a voice in his head pleads, _this is a bad idea!_ – and then another, and another again, and before he realizes he’s already running in the direction the voice came from. He hears the cry again a couple of times, nearer and nearer, and then…

Then he trips on something.

He screams as he falls face down on the ground, trying to catch himself with his hands and failing miserably. He tastes soil and his nose hurt, but at least he didn’t hit his head. He’s not ready to die this young, and he certainly doesn’t want to break the record at the kid who lived the least after leaving the orphanage.

He sputters some dead leaves out of his mouth and it’s in that moment that he realizes with horror that his voice wasn’t the only sound he heard as he was falling. Someone shouted together with him. He freezes, gulps and turns around quickly, not really knowing what to expect.

On the groud there’s a small cage, the type hunters sometimes use to catch rabbits and other small animals. It’s turned upside down from when Mark hit it with his foot, but it’s intact. Inside, something is shining and actively complaining. Complaining using human words, that’s what’s freaking Mark out. He nudges it with a foot, and the thing inside reacts by screaming louder.

« Hey! Move, stupid human, help me! »

And maybe it’s the insult, maybe it’s the fact that the voice sounds _very_ angry, but Mark reaches out and turns the cage again. The thing screams like they just fell down (which is likely considering Mark just swapped the floor and the ceiling in the small space) and complains again.

« Sorry. »

Mark mutters, and brings the cage up to look inside. There, inside, there is the strangest creature Mark has ever seen. It’s a human, moreless, or at least it’s shaped as one – dimensions aside. But as if that isn’t enough, as if that isn’t already something difficult to believe in, this little person is glowing. A warm golden glow lights up the cage and Mark’s hands, like a small flame that moves, a small flame that walks, a small flame that talks and is speaking to Mark right now.

« Listen to me, human hunter, you can’t hurt me! Try to touch me and I’ll kill you! »

Mark is taken aback for a moment, and it’s cute how the small thing waves his arms and tries to look intimidating, with its high-pitched voice and little feet that stomp on the metal floor.

« Didn’t you ask for my help ten seconds ago? »

The thing stops. For a moment they just look at each other, as the little human – is it a fairy? Mark is pretty sure at this point – considers if Mark can be trusted or not.

« Well… yes, if you don’t want to hurt me then help me, I guess. »

« You guess? »

Mark raises an eyebrow. Cute.

« I mean, please! Please help me! I can’t go back to my original size if I’m stuck in here! »

Upon closer inspection, it’s obvious that it’s a cage made to be easily opened from the outside. He places it on his legs and start fiddling with the mechanism.

« I’m sorry you had to go through this, » he says, since this experience is so unreal he may just treat it as if it’s not something out of ordinary, « hunters usually don’t use these types of cages anymore, I don’t know why it’s here. »

« Maybe someone was trying to catch me, they put it here for me, to sell me. »

Mark finally unlocks the door of the cage with a snap and, satisfied, he looks inside again.

« Bad luck for them, then, because you’re free. » The fairy walks to the opening, unsure, and looks around themselves. « Here, let me help you. »

He places a hand next to their feet and they walk on it, first shakily and then surely reaching the center of his palm.

« Hi. »

Mark says, and now he’s able to inspect them closer. They look like a small man, or more correctly a boy, with ginger hair and golden clothes. Miniature size considered, they’re really pretty.

« Hi, I’m Donghyuck and I’m a Faerie Prince. And you are? »

A _Faerie Prince_, so Mark was right at thinking he was a fairy.

« I’m Mark, I’m a human. »

« Of course you are, dummy, you’re certainly not a dog. »

Looks like Donghyuck has a sense of humor. Maybe Mark is dreaming, he’s going to wake up in the morning to find out that he’s still at home, at the orphanage, and this is the weirdest dream he’s ever head. He can already hear Mina laugh as he tells her about it. But how can he be dreaming when the ache in his legs from walking all day feels so real? A lot of people believe in fairies, in elfs and trolls, in mischevious spirits that steal money from pockets and children from cribs, but Mark is not one of those. He used to be, when he was a child, but he learned soon enough that human life is not made of fairytales. It’s made of sweat and hard work to bring home enough to live another day.

This small fairy in front of him though, looks so real and too beautiful to be real at the same time. Mark has been walking for hours, his mind is screaming at him to stop thinking for once. If this is a dream he’ll wake up well rested, if not… he’ll deal with it at a later time.

« Well, since I’m finally free, I guess I could go back to my actual size. »

« Your wha- »

Mark doesn’t have the time to finish the question. Donghyuck starts glowing brighter and he grows heavies in his hands, so much that he has to let him drop and move his arms behind him to hold his weight up. He feels hot, but it’s not his own body that’s warming up, it’s Donghyuck that’s shining brighter and hotter. Mark closes his eyes and turns his head around, trying to shield himself from the light. For a moment he feels like he’s burning, and then it’s gone.

There’s still some light, and Mark realizes that he’s got a lap full of fairy right now, but the overwhelming sensation that was there two seconds ago is gone. He blinks a couple of times to readjust to the light, and finds a couple of big brown eyes staring straight into his own.

Close, _way too close_ for comfort.

He gasps and raises his hands to put some distance between them, losing his support and falling into the wet grass. Donghyuck laughs from where he’s sit above him and… well, that’s a very pretty laugh. Now that he’s human-size his features are more defined: his pretty nose, his full lips and his big, brown eyes that look amused at him.

« How did you- »

« I’m a fairy, remember? »

How could Mark forget, people are not supposed to glow like that. They’re not supposed to be so _pretty_ and laugh so _prettily_ and smile like they’re the fucking sun. _This is not going to end well_, a part of his brain tells him, _he can do magic and he’s got you weak already_.

« You’re cute now that you’re normal size. »

Mark scrunches his eyebrows, confused.

« Actually it’s you who- »

« That’s good because I shall give you a prize for saving me, I would have died out here without you. »

He hopes the prize is to stop interrupting him when he talks, but Mark doesn’t think Donghyuck knows how to do that.

« I will bring you to the _Faerie Realm_ with me, » he says, a little proud, and places his hands on Mark’s chest to better look at him from above, « and I will marry you. »

« You will _what?!_ »

« That’s the greatest honor for a human like you. »

« Ok, but we don’t even know each other! »

Donghyuck pouts and doesn’t say anything for a couple of seconds. Maybe he got Mark’s point.

« And what does that have to do with marriage? »

Or maybe not.

« Well, » Mark starts, and he feels like he’s back at the orphanage telling the children how babies are born, « two people need to love each other a lot first before they decide to get married and live together for the rest of their lives. »

Donghyuck doesn’t comment. He’s still pouting, sitting on Mark’s lap with his hands on his chest, and Mark is pretty sure there are golden sparkles falling from his skin on Mark’s clothes. Fairy dust, maybe?

« But if I don’t bring you back with me and pay my debt to you I will die. »

Oh no, now he’s guilt tripping him.

« Excuse me? »

« Faeries always ask for something back when they do a favor, and have to give back if someone helps them. If I don’t pay my debt I will die. »

This makes sense, and it’s dangerously close to what people back at the village say about faeries. _Never ask for their help_, they used to say, _they will want your soul as an exchange_.

« Even if I tell you that we’re good? »

« Yup. »

Mark sighs. He met Donghyuck half an hour ago, but he can’t let him die. He thinks about his possibilities: he either leaves now, goes back to the path and walks until he reaches the capital to start a new life, or he goes with Donghyuck to a world he doesn’t know, maybe marry a prince and start a new life.

_Isn’t that what I wanted?_ He asks himself. _I left everything for adventures, for something new_. He thinks back to Mina, to Donghae, to the simple life he could’ve had at the village but refused to live. _What’s more adventurous_, a voice inside his head questions, loud and clear, _than the uknown? Why refuse to go and see what every man could only wish to get a glimpse of?_

« Ok, I’ll come with you. » Donghyuck’s face lights up. « _But_ I won’t marry you. Not right away, at least. »

The other boy pats his chest, happy, and more sparkles fall from his shoulders.

« I can make do with “not right away”, » he says and gets up. Mark misses the warmth. « Come with me. »

Mark also gets up, and Donghyuck grabs his hand and tugs him further into the trees. They don’t go far, they soon end up in a clearing. In the middle of it, Mark notices a circle of mushrooms in the grass. The moon lights it up like she’s waiting for them to walk in. Mark knows what that thing is, it’s a fairy ring. People at the village say that fairies danced where the mushrooms grow, that they’re traces of magic. Considering how big Donghyuck’s normal size is, Mark doubts more than two people could be able to fit in there. The part about magic happening inside it, though, that may be true.

They walk in and maybe it’s because of the sheer awe he’s feeling, maybe it’s the magic, but mark feels a shiver once he’s inside. Donghyuck looks way more comfortable, he’s glowing brighter than ever.

« Are you ready? »

He asks, but Mark is too busy staring at how the mushrooms are glowing too, now, pale and white like the moon above their heads. Donghyuck tugs at his hand, asks for his attention, and Mark turns back to him like he’s a moth and Donghyuck the flame. For how golden he’s shining right now, he may as well be. There are freckles on his face, and they glow brighter than the rest of his features, like molten gold. Mark wants to count them, but there are more pressing matters at hand.

« Yes. »

He answers, and the mushrooms around them glow harder. Donghyuck, too, is again hotter than fire, blinding, and when he cups Mark’s face with his hands it burns. He leans closer, and Mark closes his eyes because it’s too bright, too warm, too _much_. His mind registers a pair of lips on his own, but he’s too overwhelmed to really feel it (which is disastrous, he vaguely thinks). Then, ten seconds or ten years later, the warmth decreases, Donghyuck’s lips leave his own, and he tries to open his eyes again. For a moment he’s blind, but he’s able to soon blink back his vision.

The first thing he sees is Donghyuck, because his hands are still on Mark’s face and he’s right in front of him. He’s smiling, sparkles of fairy dust falling from his eyelids and golden freckles reflecting light like gems. Another ten years pass and they stay there, rooted on the spot, Donghyuck watching amusedly as Mark gawks at his face, and then his hands drops, he steps behind and opens his arms wide.

« Welcome to the _Faerie Realm_, Mark the human. »


	2. ⌠ TWO ⌡

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He turns to look again at the forest, the glowing flowers, more beautiful than any flower in the human world will ever be, and he thinks he wants to see more. _You’re being stupid_, he argues with himself, _the most beautiful things are also the most dangerous_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter, you guys are all so nice and supportive! Here is the second, I hope everyone likes it :)
> 
> Big big thank you as usual to all my friends who held my hand as I was writing this and forced me to post it. They're too special, I don't deserve them. ; __ ;

Mark notices soon enough that he’s far, far away from where he used to be seconds ago.

As he steps out of the ring on unsteady steps, he feels shivers again running down his back. The forest seems different: it’s lighter even in the middle of the night, more alive, _rich_. In the human forest Mark could hear animals hunting, he could see fireflies dance between the trees, but everyone else was asleep, it was as if everyone kept quiet, respecting the silence as the moon lulls them all from above.

This place is something else entirely.

The wind blows symphonies between the trees, carrying music and whispers and cries, and the breeze curls around Mark as if welcoming him, raising chills on his arms and the back of his neck. The branches of the trees hit against each other, passing messages as they converse with one another, ancient conversations coming from above, the forest so high Mark can’t see where it ends. The grass is also tall, wets Mark’s ankles with dew, bends under the soles of his boots.

There are more fireflies, they dance together in the dark, form figures and schemes that morph every new second, an art process that never stops. He still hears the owls calling each other, the flapping of wings as they look for preys.

But what is more breathtaking is the vegetation. Flowers are still blooming in the middle of the night, and they glow. Pale white, like they’re absorbing the light from the moon and releasing to enlighten their surroundings. Some curl around the bark of the trees, some fall from the branches, others spring up from under the roots. They retract when Mark comes closer, not used to his presence, and Mark tries not to feel disappointed at the rejection.

« Don’t feel bad, » a voice comes from behind him, « they’re just shy. »

Mark turns around to see that Donghyuck also stepped out of the ring. He’s a couple steps behind him, still beautiful, still glowing with his golden freckles and fairy dust falling from his lobes onto his shoulders and on the grass. Where it falls the filaments move like they’re clapping, like they’re dancing, Mark is not sure.

He’s about to say something too, something about the forest and the wind and the flowers, so unreal and different from those of his… _world_. That’s when it hits him. He’s followed a magical creature through a portal that led him to another world. His wet socks, the wind blowing through his hair, the tingling of his senses tell him that this is not a dream.

He sits down on the grass, worried that his legs are not going to carry his weight for much longer, and he thinks about how insane the situation is. He’s lived through it in a daze, his tired mind accepting the weirdness of the events with little effort. _What was I thinking?_ He questions, mind reeling back to less than an hour ago when he told a fucking _fairy_ that he was going to follow him to his _faery realm_. His brain fails him, hangs a sing with “close, come back tomorrow morning” on its front door and slams it on Mark’s face.

He feels movements close to him, the glow tells him it’s Donghyuck who crouches down beside him.

« Are you alright? »

He asks, head bent to the side. Mark looks again at his face, at the thick lashes and the full lips, at those features that are too beautiful to be real, and he wonders how he could have attributed something so otherworldly just to his fervent imagination.

« This is not a dream, is it? »

Donghyuck shakes his head, a sympathetic smile on his face.

« No, but you can keep thinking it is, if it makes you feel better. »

It doesn’t make Mark feel better. His brain is aware that he’s not dreaming, he can’t fake it until he forgets this detail.

Donghyuck pouts.

« You shouldn’t be so down, » he gently pushes against Mark’s shoulder, as if to shake him out of his thoughts, « this is a place every human would die to see. Why can’t you just enjoy that you’re doing something that’s above everyone else? »

But does Mark want to be above everyone else? He certainly wanted something different from the people of his village, but is it really up to this point? Will he ever be able to go back home? Will the fairies seduce him and then kill him in a brutal ritual?

He turns to look again at the forest, the glowing flowers, more beautiful than any flower in the human world will ever be, and he thinks he wants to see more. _You’re being stupid_, he argues with himself, _the most beautiful things are also the most dangerous_.

He shifts again to look into Donghyuck’s eyes, the way they sparkle with magic, to the golden freckles on his face. _But what’s the point of living, if you’re too scared by the dangers to reach for everything beautiful? _He reasons, and he comes to a conclusion.

He gets up, pats the grass off his pants – which are uncomfortably wet, now – and offers a hand to Donghyuck to help him up too. The boy doesn’t seem surprised by his fast change of heart, he just smiles and tugs at Mark’s hand again.

« Let’s go, » he says, giggling melodiously, « we can reach the path from here. »

The grass wraps lightly around his ankles, like it’s asking him not to go, and the flowers that shied away from him now turn and wiggle, trying to catch a glance at them as they walk by.

But even if the forest is asking him to stay too, Mark knows it’s not him the trees are trying to reach as they bend their branches. It’s Donghyuck, glowing like a little sun in the middle of the night, that they’re trying to keep for longer. They brush against him with leaves and petals but he just laughs, prettily like everything else about him, and tugs Mark further, faster, until they’re nearly sprinting.

They probably pass by dozens of other weird, beautiful magical plants in the meanwhile, but Mark is too busy staring at Donghyuck, at the warm hand intertwined with his own, to notice them. He doesn’t know if all fairies are like this, so enchanting and stunning and beautiful, or if it’s just him, but Mark thinks he would be able to follow him everywhere, just to see him shine a little more.

❀

The only things that are able to take Mark’s attention off of his beautiful companion are the feeling of even ground under his feet and the deep sound of the soles hitting hard wood. It looks like they’ve reached what Donghyuck previously called the path.

It’s very different from the idea that Mark has of a pathway in the forest: panels of wood form the floor of a long tunnel, lined by the trunks of the trees that surround it and covered by a roof of branches. From where they’re standing, right in front of the entrance, Mark can’t see the end.

He takes a step behind, observes better the wooden arch that stands proudly in front of them and that signals the start of the path. It’s beautifully carved, flowers and human figures curling around some words written in a foreign language, and Mark feels its purpose is way more than just aesthetic.

« Beware, wayfarer, as you’re entering the kingdom of harmony and beauty. If you’re bringing chaos, turn back fast. »

Mark turns to the side to look at Donghyuck, who points at the words carved in the wood.

« It’s what’s written up there. It’s a warning, but it also keeps away who is not welcome in my mother’s kingdom. Let’s go, you need to see the rest! »

He tugs again on Mark’s hand, pulling him towards the entrance, and every one of Mark’s muscles scream at him not to move. He pulls back.

Donghyuck turns around, pouting again.

« What’s wrong? You don’t want to come? »

Mark does, really, but that arch is a portal, it’s magical and dangerous and Mark doesn’t know what’s on the other side. For a moment he wants to run back, the way he should’ve done when he stepped in the fairy ring, but then Donghyuck tugs at his hand again and Mark feels warm all over.

« It’s going to be fine, believe me, » he smiles, « no one can hurt you if you’re with me. »

Mark takes one big breath and, ignoring his previous reluctance, follows Donghyuck through into the tunnel. When Donghyuck passes under the arch sparkles are emitted, as if someone knocked together firestones all around him, so Mark closes his eyes and hopes that whatever magic he’s going to deal with won’t hurt him.

He doesn’t feel pain, just tingles all over him and a sense of warmth. The barrier he’s passing through lets him go swiftly, without resistances, and when he looks back he sees the trees shake their branches at them, flowers wiggling in the wind to say goodbye.

For a single moment Mark feels as if something is looking at him in the dark, just a tingle at the back of his neck, but the next step he takes away from the forest the sensation is gone. Turning around, he catches Donghyuck staring at him, excited, and Mark smiles back.

« Let’s go. »

He says, and Donghyuck glows brighter than before. It would probably be enough to light the space for the both of them, but as soon as they step further inside the whole tunnel lights up. They’re flowers again, glowing between the branches that form the roof, but this time their light is not pale white, reflecting the moon, but pink, yellow, purple and many other colors. The scenery is beautiful, and Mark stops to look closer. In between the petals, that are open and colorful, the source of light looks like a gem. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires… they are the ones glowing, buzzling with magic.

When Mark raises a hand to touch them, tough, Donghyuck grabs it at pushes it away.

« Don’t touch them, they’re dangerous, » he says, guiding Mark’s hand back down and walking further into the tunnel, « the plant cherishes the gem because it gives it magic and energy, so if it thinks you’re taking it away it’ll try to stop you. »

When Mark looks at it again, the flower that used to appear so beautiful now looks scary, the colorful petals resembling teeth, sharp and ready to bite at his fingers. Mark gulps and stands closer to Donghyuck, as far as he can from anything that moves. Still, as he feels Donghyuck’s warm shoulder brush against his own, he can’t help but think that he will never in his life see something as beautiful as this.

And then, just as he thinks he’s going to be stuck in there forever, light appears at the end of the tunnel. Mark doesn’t know why it’s so bright – it should still be night outside – but it blinds him as he finally steps outside, and he has to close his eyes to get used to it.

They must have walked for way longer than he thought, or maybe time works differently in this place, because it’s morning now. The sun – he’s the one at fault for blinding Mark a second ago – shines alone in the sky, no cloud in sight, and warms what appears to be a small valley.

They’re standing at the top of a hill, Mark notices, and when he turns around there’s another big wooden arch marking the end of the tunnel. All around it there’s a forest, but Mark doubts it’s the same one they were walking through before.

The stone pathway under their feet leads to the heart of the valley where a small, sapphire blue lake is surrounded by houses. Some are made of stone, so white Mark thinks it may be marble, and they wrap around the shore and far along the valley, while others are made of wood, built right between the roots of the willows that caress the surface of the lake. They’re the most spectacular, suspended on the water like the stilt houses humans build on their coasts but infinitely more advanced.

The real star of the view, though, is the castle. In front of Mark’s eyes stands a high mountain, marking the other margin of the valley, and right on its side lays what Mark is sure must be a castle, even if he can’t spot boundary walls or tall towers. It builds vertically, following the slope of the mountain, and it’s just as white at the rest of the buildings. The monotony of the colors, though, is broken by the flowers. From the uncountable arches, the roofs and the balconies fall climbing plants, mostly ivy, and flowers of too many colors to identify just one. They breathe life into the structure, harmonizing it with the nature that surrounds it.

The building is split in the middle by a river, the biggest tributary of the lake. Multiple bridges connect the two parts, also covered in flowers, and willows lean on the water from the two sides.

Even from far away, Mark can distinguish small figures walking in the streets and standing close to the windows. They’ve reached the kingdom Donghyuck was talking about, the village inhabited by fairies.

« Is this where fairies live? »

« Well, this is where I live, » Donghyuck explains, tugging Mark down the road, « our world is just as big as yours, so there are many kingdoms inhabited by faeries and other magical creatures. I’ve never seen them, though, they’re far away. »

They walk towards the lake, passing by orchards and gardens, and Mark can’t help but stop in his tracks multiple times to admire the view and the people. While they don’t run into anyone in particular, from where they’re standing Mark can see men and women working in the fields. They’re also fairies, that much is obvious by the fact that some of them are literally flying a couple of meters above the ground to harvest fruits from the trees, but they don’t glow. Donghyuck too has stopped glowing so intensely, and Mark thinks it may have something to do with the sun shining on them. Maybe the glow is less noticeable during the day, maybe it’s a thing that only happens at night. Still, as he brings Donghyuck’s hand closer to his face to look for traces, it doesn’t look like it’s emitting any light at all.

Daytime Donghyuck looks more human, but still unreasonably good looking. His skin is tan and the freckles on his nose and cheekbones don’t look like molten gold anymore. There’s still golden dust trapped between his lashes and on his skin and it reflects the sunlight, highlighting his features. Even without actually glowing, Donghyuck still manages to shine brighter than his surroundings.

Once they reach the lake, the amount of people they walk by increases. They actually have to pass between houses, pristine white buildings that are even more detailed and beautiful up close. The marble – Mark thinks it may be marble, but it could be a material that only belongs to this world – is inlaid, more of the foreign letters Mark read on the wooden arch in the forest written on the walls of the buildings. There are also multiple drawings, and some of them are even colored, framed by the flowers that fall from the windowsills.

It becomes evident soon that people are able to recognize at first glance that Mark is not one of them. While no one openly comments about it, multiple people stare at him curiously as he passes by. Donghyuck is good at deflecting their attention, though, he greets everyone with a smile on his face and walks by fast, leaving the most crowded part of the streets behind them. No one stops them until they’re nearly out of the village, close to the castle.

« Donghyuck! »

Someone yells, and the guy stops walking abruptly, causing Mark to bump against his back. When they turn around, a short guy is standing behind them, and he must’ve materialized out of thin air because he definitely wasn’t there when they walked by a moment ago. Donghyuck knows him, because he’s not fazed by his appearance at all.

« Renjun! » He exclaims back, walking back until they’re close and pulling Mark with him, « I just came back, as you can see. »

« I can see, » Renjun says, and gives Mark a big once over, eyes scrutinizing him critically, « Her Majesty said there was going to be someone with you, is it him? »

« Yes! » He brings a hand up and gestured toward Mark, then towards the other fairy – Renjun, « Renjun, this is Mark, he saved me when I was stuck in the human world. Mark, this is my friend Renjun. »

Awkwardly, Mark raises a hand to greet the other guy, not really knowing what to say. Renjun is shorter than both him and Donghyuck, and less eye-catching than his friend, but he’s way more intimidating. His dark eyes are piercing as they look at Mark, like he’s searching inside his soul, and he doesn’t smile. He looks suspicious, as if he doesn’t trust Mark at all.

« Nice to meet you, Mark the human. »

He says in the end, not really hostile, but definitely not friendly either.

« Ehm, same. »

Donghyuck chuckles at his side.

It looks like their conversation is over, because Renjun doesn’t spare him another glance. Instead, he does something that Mark didn’t expect: he starts floating. When he’s half a meter up in the air, suspended on nothing, he flies past them, preceding them on the road that leads to the castle. Donghyuck laughs at Mark’s surprised expression and leans down to whisper in his ear.

« Don’t mind him, he’s insecure about his height. »

« I heard you! »

« But I didn’t say anything! »

They keep on walking together, Mark holding tightly Donghyuck’s hand as they get closer to the castle. He doesn’t know what’s inside and he’s not sure if it’s a safe place for him. Still, Donghyuck keeps on nudging him with his shoulder, keeping him grounded, and he’s so warm Mark can’t help but give him his full attention as he tells him little facts about the kingdom – “did you know that most of our plants come from the human world? But they flourish better here.” “Not all faeries are able to fly, but some of us have wings!”

When they reach the castle, Mark is surprised to see that there is no gate to open, no guards and not even a real door. Instead, a set of column delimits a patio at the top of a set of stairs, and behind it a big arch works as an entrance.

« Why is it so… open? Are you not worried people are going to come in? »

Both Donghyuck and Renjun look at him confused, as if they don’t understand what he’s talking about.

« And why would it be a problem if someone comes in? »

Asks the first, head tilted to the side.

« Well, they may hurt the royal family, or maybe steal something. »

The two fairies chuckle, looking at each other like Mark is not even there and what he said is absolutely stupid. Then Donghyuck shakes his head and explains:

« No one with bad intentions can enter the valley, silly, they can’t pass through the path. And no one from here would steal anything from the castle, they respect the Queen. »

Right, magic. Now Mark understands why his question was stupid. Without another word he lets the other two guide him through the patio and into the castle.

He doesn’t know what he expected, but the reality of what’s inside exceeded it. Compared to the outside, which looks nearly decadent thanks to the plants wrapping around it, the inside is more luxurious than the biggest human palace could ever be. The soft carpet on the floor, the big mirrors hanging on the walls and the furniture, Mark is sure they must be made of materials that don’t belong to his world. Everything is trying to catch his attention, sparkling and shining and reflecting the light, like the room itself has a mind of its own and is looking for praises.

Mark is definitely overwhelmed.

Donghyuck must sense it somehow, because he tugs him close as they walk through the rooms. As time passes the strong effect blurs into the back of his mind, just a small sparkling spot in the corner of his vision, and Mark relaxes slowly. Renjun is “walking” in front of them, bouncing up and down slightly like a soap bubble. They climb a huge set of stairs, and at the top someone is waiting for them.

The man appears young, the way a human in his twenties would, but Mark is sure again that this person is not human – seriously, Mark is starting to think he’s the only one of his kind here, which is likely. What really gives away his status are the ears. They’re pointy, and not in the way fairy ears are depicted sometimes, this guy’s ears reach above his head and are covered in white fur. They look like those that rabbits have, just placed where human ears would normally be.

Mark doesn’t stare.

Maybe just a little bit.

The man, however, doesn’t look much interested in him. He spares him a glance, yes, but then takes a watch from his pocket and checks the time, shooting a disapproving look towards Donghyuck.

« You’re late, Your Majesty, the queen was waiting for you an hour ago. »

Donghyuck scoffs and tries to cross his arms on his chest, remembering then that he can’t do that as long as he’s holding Mark’s hand, settling than to snort and roll his eyes like a petulant child.

« I was stuck in the human world, Doyoung, it’s not like I could just go back to be on time. »

Bunny-ears-guy Doyoung doesn’t comment, he just fixes his tie and motions for the three of them to precede him. Renjun does so without hesitations, but he goes back to walking as he passes him. Donghyuck doesn’t move, slightly upset, and Mark looks at him confused.

« I can’t go to the party dressed like this, » he says, « I have to change, first. »

Mark doesn’t see anything wrong with Donghyuck’s outfit: his cream shirt is elegant and spotless, his pants fit perfectly around his legs and he’s wearing a golden necklace tight around his neck. Compared to Mark, whose leather boots have seen better days for a long time now, he looks just like the prince he’s supposed to be. But then again, Mark doesn’t have much experience on how fairy princes usually dress like.

Doyoung checks the time again.

« You can’t go and do that now, just fix what you have. »

Donghyuck snorts again, but pulls Mark with him through the rest of the stairs and guides him to stand next to Renjun.

« Don’t move. »

He instructs, and for some reason Mark feels like he wouldn’t be able to take a step even if he wanted to.

When Donghyuck lets go of his hand, Mark instinctively reaches out to grab it back, but the other boy has already stepped away from him. He misses the warmth, and the room has started sparkling disturbingly again. He’s about to try and move back to Donghyuck’s side, but then the effect stops. Renjun has moved closer to him, so much that their shoulders are touching. Mark is about to thank him, but the other looks away without a word, so Mark bites his tongue doesn’t comment.

Donghyuck, in the meanwhile, has moved towards the closer mirror, and is inspecting critically his outfit. After a couple of seconds of pondering, he does the same thing Mark saw him do back in the human world: he starts glowing brightly, so brightly that Mark has to shield his eyes from the light. Next to him neither Doyoung nor Renjun seem affected, and Mark curses his human nature for being so unsuited for what is, as he has concluded by now, an open display of magic.

When the light fades, Donghyuck is still the same size and he’s exactly where he was before, but his clothes look different. He’s wearing the same shirt and pants, Mark assumes, but now there’s a golden cape hanging from his shoulders all the way to his knees, his hair is styled differently, curly compared to before, and he’s wearing a lot more jewelry. There’s a crown on his head, bracelets on his wrists and long earrings falling from his ears – which are more visible, now, and Mark notices they are pointed upwards the way fairy ears are in paintings, no weird fur like Doyoung has.

Donghyuck hums satisfied and turns in front of the mirror to check himself out. Mark understands, he would check himself out too if he looked this good. When he’s satisfied, he walks back to grab Mark’s hand again and tug him through new corridors and rooms. Renjun lets out a relieved sigh once he can step away from Mark’s side and Mark is genuinely confused if the boy has something against him, humans in general or people in general. Both him and Doyoung walk behind them and Mark doesn’t need to turn around to feel their presence.

« Now I feel a bit underdressed. »

He states, looking down at his old shirt. When you live in an orphanage you don’t have the luxury of choosing what to wear.

« You’re a human, Mark, no one expects you to be well dressed. »

« Uhm. »

He comments eloquently. He comes to the realization that fairies must not think of humans as a very… civilized population. He probably should’ve come earlier to that conclusion.

After a couple more minutes of walking through the castle, they reach the first real door Mark has encountered in the realm, which is huge, wooden and carved with beautiful designs. Soft music filters from under it, angelic in its composition, and Mark is sure that if Donghyuck were to let go of his hand again, he would be hypnotized by the sound.

Donghyuck looks at him for a moment, as if to gauge his reaction, and then lays a hand on the wood. Sparkles erupt from the contact, traveling along the surface and giving it life. The carved figures start moving, dancing to welcome their guests, and then the door slides open.

« Welcome to the throne room, Mark. »

❀

The inside is so different from what a throne room is supposed to look like, Mark wouldn’t think of defining the space in front of him as one. Instead of a single throne and lines of guards on both sides, what welcomes Mark is a huge ballroom.

There are big columns supporting a high ceiling, which is open on multiple sites to let the sunlight filter in. The theme of nature comes back more evident than in the other rooms, as ivy climbs up the columns and blooming flowers fall from the big candelabrum. But what truly catches Mark’s attention is not the environment and it’s not the music either, it’s the people.

If he thought Doyoung’s ears were weird, they’re absolutely nothing compared to what the people in that room look like. Some fairies have horns, others have wings, tails and even hoofs. Still, they don’t look misplaced, instead the peculiar appendixes are decorated and embellished like they’re a source of pride, something beautiful to show and appreciate.

Everyone is dressed extremely elegant, eye-catching to the point of it being unbearable, and Mark can’t shake off the idea that this is a big competition of peacocks over who has the better tail. Who is the peahen, though, Mark has no idea.

Some guests are dancing in the middle of the room, on what seems to be a big dancefloor, others are eating snacks near big buffet tables and others again are just standing on the sides, vibrant eyes observing and gossiping with each other.

Again, people stare at him, but if the fairies on the streets looked more curious about his presence there, the sparkles in these people’s eyes are mischievous. Mark understands quickly that not everyone here has good intentions, and sticks closer to Donghyuck.

They lose Renjun and Doyoung pretty quickly in the confusion of the crowd, but Donghyuck moves so easily between the groups of people that he’s either used to this environment of has a clear destination in mind. Probably both.

They make it halfway through the room before they are stopped. It’s a tall, blonde guy that moves in front of them, nearly bumping against Donghyuck in the process.

« You’re late. »

He comments, sipping from a finely decorated glass what looks like red wine. From the small smile on his face, Mark guesses he’s here to tease them.

« It happens sometimes, you should know that well, » Donghyuck says, defensive, and tugs Mark closer to him. « Mark, this is one of my annoying older siblings, Jungwoo. Jungwoo, this is my human fiancé Mark who helped me when I was stuck in the human world. »

Mark is about to shake his hands in panic, denying that he’s engaged to anyone, but Jungwoo is too busy laughing to notice him.

« Oh, Hyuckie, » he says in the end, wiping a fake tear from the corner of his eye, « this is such a _you_ thing, I’m not even surprised. Mother will love to hear your story. »

« Yeah, well, she will never get to hear it if you don’t let us go. »

Jungwoo lets them go.

Mark can feel him staring at them even as they walk away, though, so he’s sure he must not be far.

From where they’re standing, it becomes obvious that one side of the room is higher compared to the other. The floor is slightly tilted, like they’re moving toward the top of a cone. It was less evident when they were standing at the entrance, but now Mark is sure the highest point of the room must be where the throne will be.

He’s not wrong, they do reach the throne once the last group of people moves out of their way. It’s made of wood, but the peculiar thing is that, while the tree it was carved into has obviously been cut from the ground, the plant is alive. From the back, once the flat surface ends, multiple branches reach high to the ceiling, full of leaves and blooming flowers.

Mark doesn’t have much time to think about the logistics of fairy carpentry because his eyes are inevitably drawn lower to the person sitting on the throne. He’s so stunned that his breath catches in his throat and his heartbeat picks up wildly, shaking in his chest in pure panic. Sitting there is the most beautiful woman Mark has ever seen. He had already established with Donghyuck that people from this world have a beauty that is a whole another level from humans, but the Queen – because she obviously is the Queen – is so beautiful Mark is scared he’s going to die if he stares at her any longer.

Her skin is pale, so much that she doesn’t look alive, and her brown hair fall down her chest, white flowers braided in the strands. Her dress is also white, so long that it reaches well past the ground, opening as a semicircle on the floor for at least a couple of meters. There’s silver jewelry on her hands and a beautiful crown on her head. When she looks at him – because she does, and for way longer than any other fairy Mark has met in this world until now – she smiles, lips exposing a perfect set of teeth. She looks a bit motherly, nice in an understanding way, but she appears way too young to be a mother. Mark is not deceived, though, a beauty like this probably doesn’t know aging.

She looks at him expectedly, a little amused, and Mark is shaken out of his trance. He notices that, next to him, Donghyuck is bowing, and he hastily repeats his actions. Once they’re both standing straight again, she finally speaks:

« You are late, honeybear, I was waiting for you an hour ago. »

Her voice is soft, melodious, and it feels a bit like a chant. Mark is sure it could put him to sleep in record time.

« I’m sorry, mother, I was - »

She raises a hand and Donghyuck shuts up. Mark didn’t think it was possible.

« I know everything, honey, you don’t have to worry, I was just teasing you a little bit. » She smiles again, and Mark’s vision is again focused on her and her only. It’s weird because he wants to turn and gauge Donghyuck’s reaction, but he simply can’t. The corners of her lips turn down again, expression neutral, and Mark blinks a couple of times to regain control over his eyes. He can’t look too far, though, because now she’s the one who’s staring at him. « Thank you for helping my beloved son, Mark Lee. The human world is a very dangerous place for us, many faeries who go there never get to return home. Donghyuck could have been gone forever if it wasn’t for you. To express you my gratitude, I welcome you in my court under my protection. »

Not knowing what he’s supposed to do under all these attentions, Mark bows another time. Back when he was playing with the other kids at the orphanage, they would always bow to the king or queen of the day.

« Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. »

She laughs then, her voice tingling like crystal bells in a way that is very similar to Donghyuck’s own pretty laugh, but a thousand folds more enchanting.

« You don’t have to call me that, Mark the human, if you are really going to be my son in law you can call me by my name, Irene. »

Again, Mark loses the opportunity to object. There’s no one stopping him or cutting him off this time, it’s just that the Queen’s eyes are looking at him so softly, so motherly that he can’t find in himself the strength to tell the person in charge – because she’s obviously the one in charge, here – that he doesn’t want to get married at twenty years old to a magical being that he barely knows, and that he would be glad if they were able to find a solution in which they can forego the marriage without anyone dying from it. If she were to be disappointed in him, Mark would get out of that absolutely devastated.

So, he doesn’t say anything, he just bows and waits for their interaction to be over.

It doesn’t take long, the Queen just asks Donghyuck to be more careful the next time and reminds him of his duties, Donghyuck smiles and talks and looks as pretty as he has been looking ever since Mark has met him, and they bow one last time to say goodbye just a couple of minutes later.

« Donghyuck, » she calls as they were about to turn back around, « even if it’s still day, I think your fiancé needs to sleep. Why don’t you ask someone to show him to his room so that he can’t rest? »

« Can’t he stay with me? »

He pouts, trying to get her to change her mind, but she just shakes her head.

« I’m afraid not, honeybear, out guest would probably not be comfortable with that. »

She’s right, Mark isn’t. He thinks he could do with a room all for himself, it’s a luxury he rarely got the chance to experience. She raises a hand, and Doyoung appears at her side out of thin air. If Mark hadn’t seen so many incredible things happen today already, he would gasp in surprise.

« Doyoung, dear, can you show our guest to his room, please? Donghyuck is going to keep me company in the meanwhile. »

Doyoung bows to the Queen, bunny ears twitching at the sides of his face, and walks closer to the two of them. Donghyuck tugs Mark closer, eyeing Doyoung defensively, and for a moment Mark thinks he’s going to protest out loud. Instead, he just sighs and lets him go. His senses don’t do funny things this time, which Mark is pleasantly surprised about, but he still feels the urge to grab back Donghyuck’s hand and keep him closer. He’s also vaguely scared that, once he’s gone, someone is going to capture him and use him as a sacrificial lamb in some magic ritual.

They stare at each other for one long moment, then Donghyuck leans closer and lays a peck on his cheek. His lips are warm, so warm that Mark feels them burning against his skin, and a second later his body is on fire. It’s like that time in the fairy ring, just this time Mark doesn’t know what magic is being performed on him. When Donghyuck leans back the warmth recedes, and Mark doesn’t feel any different than he was before.

« Goodnight, my human. »

He says, soft, and Mark feels warm again, even without magic.

« Goodnight. »

He answers, then he lets Doyoung guide him out of the room. They exit through a lateral door and find themselves in a long corridor. Without a word, the man leads him through different alleyways, taking Mark to a different area of the castle.

« Why has the room stopped sparkling the way it used to do before? »

He asks. He didn’t mean to say it out loud, he was just wondering about it by himself, but now Doyoung turns to look at him so he can’t take it back.

« Magic is a great show stealer, » he says, his voice a bit more friendly than he was when he first met him. He also looks at him for longer than a split second. « It thrives under attention, especially the one of a human, which doesn’t have it on his own. Everything and everyone are dripping in magic, here, so they’re all trying to appeal to you, even unconsciously. Donghyuck gave you a little help with that back in the throne room, but eventually you’ll get used to it by yourself. »

Mark doesn’t know what to answer, and it looks like Doyoung is done with his explanation, since he goes back to guiding his silently through the castle, so he keeps quiet and thinks about his words. He already thought that magic was the explanation behind the weird behavior of his eyes, but it looks like everything he experienced until now was heavily influenced by magic. The way he couldn’t look away from the queen when he met her? Magic, she’s supposed to be the most powerful, after all. The way he feels like he could follow Donghyuck down a ravine if he asked? Magic again. He doesn’t know what to do about that, and he spends the whole trip worrying about it. He needs to get used to this magic thing quickly, if he doesn’t want to really put himself in danger. Is he even in control of his own emotions anymore?

« Hey Doyoung, » he asks, « is there a way to prevent this… magical thing from happening to me? »

The man looks at him for a long period of time, seemingly considering what to say. In the end, he nods.

« I’ll help you find something to reduce the effect. In the meanwhile, Donghyuck’s little spell will protect you for at least a day or two. » He stops walking, then, and gestures to a door next to them. « This is your room, no one can come in without your permission. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mark. »

And, with those final words, he walks away from him.

It’s not until Mark is alone in the corridor that he feels exhaustion drop on his shoulder. How long has he been awake, now? He doesn’t know, but they’re definitely too many for his body. Tiredly raising an arm, he grabs the handle and pushes the door open.

He’s too tired to register the room completely, but he notices the fact that it’s really big. The bed is also enormous, placed against a wall with a dark canopy shading it from the light coming from the window. Mark reaches it walking slowly, his legs screaming at him in protest at every step, and he lets himself fall on it as soon as he’s close enough. He only takes off his shoes, too tired to bother stripping down of his clothes.

When he finally drops his head on the pillow and closes his eyes, the last memory his brain shows him before he falls asleep is a big smile and a pair of brown eyes with golden dust trapped in the lashes.

_Beautiful_, he thinks, _too beautiful to be real_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess who are Donghyuck's older siblings? ;)


	3. ⌠ THREE ⌡

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> « I’m here now, don’t worry. » He gently cards his fingers through his hair, and Mark cries pitifully in the crook of his neck, hands grasping Donghyuck’s blouse. « They can’t get you, they won’t touch you as long as I’m here. »

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back :)   
I'm so sorry for the long wait, uni has been kicking my butt recently but I'll try my best to do better for the future updates.
> 
> I also added the tag "Very Mild Gore" because there's a scene (it's the first one) here that may be a bit strong to some people and it will be useful again in the future. Again, it's very very mild, but it's better to be safe, right? Also, further tags will be added as we process in the story.
> 
> I'll leave you to the chapter. As always, a big thank you to all my friends, especially Martina and Bummie for holding my hand tightly while I write. Enjoy! :)

The first thing Mark registers is the cold. He shouldn’t feel cold, not in a dream. He’s sure from the moment he opens his eyes that he’s dreaming. He’s in a forest, again, it looks like he can’t help but gravitate back to this type of places recently.

The sun has already set, but the sky is not dark yet. He’s in a clearing, but he’s not laying on the ground. From the cold that transpire through his clothes he recognizes stone, so flat that he supposes he’s laying on a bench.

He picks himself up and looks around himself. He’s not in the fairy realm, or at least he thinks he isn’t, because the surroundings are familiar. There are no glowing flowers, no whispers in the wind, and everything feels calm, so calm that it sends a shiver down his spine. While he can’t see anyone around him, he knows he’s not alone. He can feel eyes burning holes in the back of his head, his mind screaming at him to run, conscience scratching against the walls of his mind to be heard, to make him move, but his body doesn’t react. He’s not even petrified; he just doesn’t feel the panic. His breathing is even, his muscles are relaxed, his eyelids blink slowly as he looks between the trees.

He feels like two different individuals sharing one body, and he doesn’t know which one is _dream Mark_ and which is _real life Mark_ trying to take the reins.

As the sky darkens above him, he realizes something: there is no moon tonight. Stars dots the sky like the golden freckles on Donghyuck’s face, but the familiar pale light of the moon doesn’t shine on him from above like it usually does, and Mark feels a bit lost. He’s never liked nights without moon, they always make him feel alone.

And then, traveling through the trees like a fast messenger, a gust of wind hits him in the back, bending him forward. When he straightens up again, he’s not sitting alone anymore.

He didn’t think he’ll see her again, but maybe his mind is not yet ready to let Mina go.

She’s sitting next to him with her hands folded on her lap, long hair loose at the sides of her face. She’s Mina, but at the same time she’s not. She’s thinner, paler, and she looks older. Her hands grip the skirt of her black dress. It’s unsettling, Mina never wore black.

« Are you not even going to say hi to an old friend? »

She asks, but she doesn’t look at him. Maybe it’s better this way, Mark is not sure he would like what he could find in those eyes.

« I… » he stutters, struggling as the Mark inside his head and the Mark in the dream try to combine again into one person, « I didn’t expect you to be here. »

She hums, knuckles white as her hands grip her dress. It’s a thick fabric, there are no decorations, it reminds Mark of the tunic nuns wear, minus the headpiece. He expects her to be angry as she speaks, but her voice doesn’t show any emotion, as plain as Mark feels his dream self also is.

« Maybe I mattered to you more than I thought, if you can still remember me. » There’s a pause, silence engulfing them, suffocating. « Not that it matters anymore, you still left me for a pretty boy. »

For a moment, the two Marks align to answer.

« That’s not true! »

« Oh but it is, » there’s a bitter smile on her face, but her eyes are sad as they stare at the forest before them, « all your talks about traveling around the world, about doing great things, and the first enchanting fairy boy is all it takes for you to settle in a castle and marry a prince. You had the chance to tell him no, to say that you had to find another way, yet you didn’t. »

Her words burn him as they come out, scorching hot as they hit him right on his chest, painfully true. But how is Mark even supposed to explain that denying Donghyuck feels like committing a crime, that the idea of seeing him sad, were he to tell him that he doesn’t want to stay – to get married – screeches like chalk on a blackboard?

« I’m sorry. »

Is all he says, admitting to himself that he’s a coward. She chuckles. It’s bitter, vaguely angry, and something cracks on her emotionless face.

« You said you wanted to travel, do it. » She turns to him, still not looking him in the eyes, and grabs his hand between hers. She’s cold, too cold to be alive. « Leave, Mark Lee. You have no idea what you’re getting into. »

Mark is scared. So scared that he doesn’t talk, petrified by the ice-cold hands gripping his own, by the dark of the night, by the fog that raises, covering the grass. The calm, collected Mark of the dream is gone, he left the reins in real Mark’s hands and fled far away to leave him to deal with the situation alone. If he opens his mouth he’ll scream, so he just shuffles far away from Mina – of whatever this thing is, because it’s certainly not Mina.

Disappointed by his reaction, maybe irked by his silence, not-Mina’s grip on his hand tightens. It’s painful, it’s too much, Mark is waiting to hear the crack of a broken bone. For the first time since she appeared, her eyes meet his.

Mark’s blood freezes in his vein.

They’re red, so bright that it’s disturbing. The irises are red, scarlet like blood and glowing, the white of the cornea is also red, bloodshot, and Mark watches with horror as red blood starts dripping from the corners, like she’s crying. When she speaks, her voice is not human anymore. It’s deep, like she’s speaking to him from the center of the earth.

« I’ll find you. » Mark shuffles back again, so much that he falls from the bench. Not-Mina lets go of his hand as he falls back, and Mark crawls away from her. His shirt is wet from the grass, the wind raising goosebumps on his skin as the fog embraces him. It’s too real to be just a dream, and Mark tries to scream as he watches the demon – it’s a demon, right? What else could it be? The nuns were right, they’re really out there to get his soul – gets up. She doesn’t move, though, she just stands close to the bench, right where the fog is thicker, where Mark can’t see half of her legs anymore, and her fists are curled at her side. « They won’t be able to shield you from me. I will find you! »

And then, something inside Mark snaps. It’s like his body awakens and decides to run away on its own. If the second before he was curled on the grass, watching as blood tricked down Mina’s face to disappear in her black dress, now he’s running in the woods.

He feels his ankles twist more than once as he steps on the roots on the trees, but it doesn’t hurt. The branches scratching against his skin don’t hurt either, he barely feels them as his body runs, runs for so long he’s not sure how far he must be from the clearing. He closes his eyes, aware that he can’t control what his legs are doing anyway, and presses the heels of his palms against his eyelids, feeling the dampness of his tears wet his skin. When did he start crying? He doesn’t know, but he doesn’t think he’ll be able to stop.

Then, his body collides against something warm.

More than something, he collides against someone.

His legs tremble as he opens his eyes again, afraid of what stands in front of him. Instead, Donghyuck’s smile greets him as he reaches forward. Mark should be scared, he knows, he just saw his long-time friend cry blood and speak directly from hell, what tells him that Donghyuck won’t just grow another head and try to bite him? He’s not, though, because as Donghyuck’s warm glow embraces him, soft gold lighting him up from the inside, all his worries disappear. The problem at hand – the fact that some obscure entity is literally out to get him – disappears in the back of his mind, and Mark’s legs finally give out. He crushes on the ground, not feeling any pain, and Donghyuck crunches in front of him. He takes his face in his hands, hushing him as he dries up his tears with his thumbs. Mark doesn’t think he’ll ever stop sobbing, but Donghyuck is patient as he shifts in front of him, sitting close and wrapping his arms around his chest.

« I’m here now, don’t worry. » He gently cards his fingers through his hair, and Mark cries pitifully in the crook of his neck, hands grasping Donghyuck’s blouse. « They can’t get you, they won’t touch you as long as I’m here. »

And then he starts humming a tune, softly, into Mark’s ear. Mark can feel his body warm up, can feel himself go slack in his arms, and he’s immediately tired. _Funny,_ he thinks, _to be tired in a dream_. Maybe hours pass by, maybe just a couple of minutes, but at some point Mark feels his mind let go, falling asleep. He looks at the sky, dark and dotted with stars. The moon is up again, full. Everything is going to be alright.

And he wakes up.

❀

Mark wakes up strangely relaxed for someone who’s had the worse nightmare of their life. He opens his eyes slowly and stretches his limbs, turns around the bed and pushes the covers away from his body. He still feels warm from Donghyuck’s embrace.

Wait.

He’s not supposed to feel warm from a _dream_.

He’s sitting up in his bed a moment later, mind reeling back to everything that happened to him in the dream. He doesn’t want to think too hard about that demonic version of Mina, he’s pretty sure he could start crying again if he does. As he brings his hand towards his chest, though, he feels it hurt. He tries to move it, flexes his fingers to assess the pain, and feels with increasing horror and fascination the ache decrease with time. It’s like a reminder, just a little heads up from someone that whatever he’s just lived through was not just a product of his imagination.

He should probably feel scared, but the residual warmth from his encounter with dream-Donghyuck keeps him calm, like the whole problem is far, far away. That’s not a good thing, though, the fear is probably going to come back all at once as the effect decreases.

He’s still sitting on his bed, staring fascinated at the palm of his hand, when he feels someone knocking on his door. Startled, he gets up – notes that in his exhaustion he wore his normal clothes to sleep instead of the expensive-looking night gown that is neatly folded on a chair next to the bed – and goes to open it.

On the other side stands a boy that Mark has never seen before. He was expecting Donghyuck, maybe Doyoung, but not this tall, young man with a smile too bright for early morning hours.

Actually, Mark has no idea what time it is, but judging from the light that filters from his window it’s probably already the following morning. He’s never slept so long before, but he’s also never been as tired as he was the previous day.

The guy at the door just stares at him, which is a little unnerving, and Mark would be worried that a very magical stranger is standing in front of his door was said stranger not giving out such friendly vibes. Mark tries to recall what Doyoung said about magic, but it’s difficult to do so when the other’s smile is so bright. The furniture is not shining yet, though, so Donghyuck’s magic must still be working.

Mark stares at the other, equal parts impressed and confused, uncertain if he’s supposed to look at the guy’s exposed chest – the shirt he’s wearing is halfway open, exposing a remarkable set of pectorals – or at his deer eyes. Or maybe at the pair of ibex horns on his head.

« Hi! » The guy finally says once he’s finished staring at Mark like he’s never seen a human before – Mark realizes that maybe a lot of these people have actually never met a human in their life. « Donghyuck sent me to pick you up, also Doyoung told me to give you this. »

There’s an envelope in his hand that Mark didn’t notice before, and he takes it murmuring a little “_thanks_”. The paper is dark red, burgundy, with a green seal keeping it closed. Palpating it with his fingertips, mark notices that there’s something solid inside, something hard and thick.

« I – I’ll go wash up for a moment? »

He asks. He didn’t mean for it to sound like a question, but Mark has never been the most eloquent guy out there. _Tall guy_ just smiles at him again, not moving from his spot even as Mark retreats back inside the room and closes the door. He looks around the room, spotting the door to a private bathroom – he’s never seen a room as luxurious as this one in his life – and sprinting inside. He didn’t lie to the fairy guy out there, he actually needs to pee, wash his face and try to look a little less like he just got out of bed and slept in the clothes he’s supposed to walk around in.

First, though, he will open this envelope and look at what’s inside.

The heavy thing is a necklace with a pendant, it falls into his palm as soon as he breaks the seal. It’s golden and fat, just a little smaller than his thumb, as heavy as a little stone. It has been carefully carved, little spirals and circles decorating the surface. Looking again inside the envelope, he spots a letter. Careful not to let the pendant drop, he takes it out and opens it. It’s written in his language, fortunately, in a neat handwriting. While the paper is plain white, the ink is deep red again, like dried blood. It freaks Mark out a little.

_Good morning Mark the human,_

_As promised, here is a little thing that will help you with the magic that surrounds you. Don’t show it to anyone, most faeries find it disrespectful when a human uses this kind of tricks. I recommend putting it under your clothes, on direct contact with the skin. _

_Greetings,_

_Dongyoung._

So Doyoung truly remembered to give him something to prevent magic from charming him. Looking at himself in the mirror, he puts the necklace around his neck, hiding it beneath his shirt. The pendant lays heavy on his sternum, but it’s not too noticeable under the wrinkled cotton.

He looks around the room, expecting it to be different from before. It’s not, it looks the same, and the metal feels uncomfortably cool against his skin. He’s not worried about it, he’s sure it must be working in some way, and maybe Donghyuck’s spell must still be influencing him.

He washes up quickly (this palace has a plumbing system, Mark only read about those in books), gets ready to go out and tries to look presentable. When he opens the door again, the guy with the horns is still standing there, exactly where he left him. He’s still smiling, too, which is starting to make Mark a little uncomfortable. Now, though, he can see that whatever spell Doyoung put on that necklace must be working. The guy is still too gorgeous to be real, his features are as perfect as they were before, but now Mark doesn’t feel the unbearable need to look at him, to listen to him, to do as he asks. It’s just like looking at a normal handsome guy.

« Sorry for the wait, » Mark says, feeling a little more confident in speaking with people now, « hope I didn’t take too long. »

« Oh no, you’re fine! » He answers, stepping away from the door as Mark closes is behind him. « I’m Yukhei, by the way, nice to meet you! »

He sounds excited, it’s vaguely cute. Yukhei extends a hand toward him and Mark looks at it for a long moment before he shakes it. When Yukhei squeals as he does so, Mark doesn’t comment.

« Sorry, » the guy says, scratching the back of his neck, « I don’t want to freak you out, but you’re the first human I’ve ever met. I’ve moved in this kingdom just a couple of decades ago and it’s been a century since they last had a human guest. »

« Don’t worry, it’s fine. »

Mark reassures him as they walk through the corridors. Yukhei guides him out of the castle, in the meanwhile bombarding him with questions about the human world that Mark doesn’t really know the answer of – “So, how do you communicate with people from other places without magic?” “Ehm… we learn their language?” “But doesn’t that take forever?” “Yeah I guess…” – until they reach the street that leads to the lake.

Donghyuck stands on the pathway in all his golden glory, Renjun floating right beside him. They’re having a conversation, both pointing towards the lake and up at the woods that delimit the valley.

This Donghyuck is different from the one in Mark’s dream, less of a mystical vision and more like the Donghyuck who dragged him all the way to his magic castle. He’s not glowing, just like he wasn’t glowing yesterday, but he’s still dripping fairy dust all over his shoulders.

This Donghyuck is also different from the Donghyuck from yesterday, though, and Mark can’t place it on one thing specifically, but it’s in the way his hands move as he gesticulates, in the way his hair is swept by the wind. It’s less hypnotic, more normal. When he turns around and smiles at Mark, though, he’s still as gorgeous as he was before, he still requires all his attention.

Of course, the fairy who’s trying to woo Mark into marriage is not only magically beautiful, no, he’s beautiful also without external help.

« Hi Mark! » He says, waving at him, « did you sleep well? »

Mark’s mind travels back to his dream, to Mina’s cold hand wrapped around his own. Maybe he should tell Donghyuck about this, it’s probably for the best, but not in front of all these people. He nods, walking closer until Donghyuck can grasp his arm to tug him down the street.

« I did, yes. »

Lucas walks on his other side, long legs struggling to keep up with their slow pace, and Renjun is floating behind them.

It must be late morning and people are up and working already. Back when he was still in the human world, Mark was told that fairies don’t work. _“They don’t need to work when they can have anything with magic already,”_ Minseok used to say, fingers carding through little Mark’s hair, _“that’s why they dance all day long”_.

What Mark sees now, though, is very different. These people look like they woke up pretty early in the morning to reach the fields, and while they do use magic to facilitate their tasks, they’re still definitely working. Some people wave at them as they walk by, others offer them food, and Mark realizes that he’s definitely hungry. He hasn’t eaten anything ever since he arrived here. How is he even holding up?

He doesn’t feel weak, but now that he thinks about it, he could do with something on his stomach.

« Can I accept that? »

He asks the next time someone offers them a peach.

« Yeah but wait, » Donghyuck grabs the fruit in his place and gives it to Mark, « take it from me, other faeries can be… _mischievous_, sometimes. »

Mark eyes the fruit suspiciously, but he eats it anyway under Donghyuck’s expecting gaze. It’s good, soft and juicy.

« Where are we going, anyway? »

He asks as they continue towards the village.

« I was thinking of showing you around! There are a lot of places that are _magical_, and we could swim in the lake later. »

Donghyuck sounds excited, gripping Mark’s arm tight and smiling at him. Mark smiles back, hiding his face behind the peach. He was hoping to get some time alone with Donghyuck, to tell him about his dream, but it looks like they’re going all together on a trip.

Mark pushes his concerns to the back of his head for the moment, focuses on enjoying the day.

❀

Donghyuck leads him through the little streets of the village, inside shops and up on roofs. They also climb a tree at one point, and then spend the following twenty minutes trying to untangle Lucas’ horns from the branches.

It’s nice, Mark feels weightless, all preoccupations seeping through him, dripping to the floor like dew in the early morning. He leaves the dream behind, his worried mind untying all its knots as he skirts between the stalls of the market.

The market, above everything, left the biggest impression on him. Mark is used to the small markets of his village, and he expected this one to be no different considering that the realm is not so big itself. Instead, the square reserved for the stalls was so big that he couldn’t see the end. And he couldn’t find the same type of stalls that he was used to in the human world, selling fish or vegetables, no, here everything was made of magic. Charms of all sizes, bottles filled with liquids and powders, magical creatures swimming in big tanks and many, many spells being cast from one side of the place to the other.

Donghyuck kept him close the whole time, both hands grabbing tightly onto his arm as Lucas opened the flow of people with his big frame and Renjun sat on his shoulders to direct him through the crowd, using his horns as reins. It was an amusing sight, Mark won’t be able to forget it.

It’s only once they’re out and away that Mark asks Donghyuck about it.

« How come there were so many people there? I didn’t think so many people lived here. »

« They don’t, » Donghyuck answers him as they all sit on a big bench. From where they are, they have the full view of the lake. « Most people at the market are from other realms or just travelers. It’s a peculiar place because it’s easy to teleport inside and outside of it, you don’t have to pass the tunnel. »

Mark scratches his jaw, still confused.

« But isn’t it dangerous, if people can come in like that? »

« They can’t leave the market, » Renjun intervenes, shaking his head. It’s the first time Mark heard him speak all day, he hopes it’s not obvious that he’s freaking out about it. « If you use a spell or a charm to teleport in the market you can’t walk out of it to reach the castle or the woods. So it’s useless to travel there unless you’re just looking for something there. »

Mark hums, understanding the situation.

« But still, isn’t it still dangerous for all these strangers to be so close to home? »

« There are restrictions, some people just can’t teleport in even if they want, you won’t find the King of the Shadows bargaining at a stall. »

_King of the Shadows, _Mark thinks, _are bad people forced to have names that invokes the darkness or is it just popular_?

Donghyuck goes on in his explanation, obviously more centered around the mechanics of the place than the bad people that live in this world.

« Also, it’s a place out of my mother’s jurisdiction. I don’t think she would allow all this free traveling if she could, if a fight breaks in there people that are just walking by, like us, could get hurt and it would be difficult to catch who started it, but she can’t do anything about it. Markets exist in every kingdom and they’re all connected and easily accessible, they were born before the realms themselves sometimes. »

He sighs, dropping his head on Mark’s shoulder.

« What are we doing now? »

Mark asks, watching the sun shines above the lake. It’s late afternoon already

_We didn’t have lunch…_

« Fairies don’t eat much, » Donghyuck says and _oh, Mark said that out loud, didn’t he?_ « Our organism functions well with little food, your body is probably adjusting to that too since you’re with us. Are you hungry? »

Well, Mark is not really hungry, which is weird considering the only thing he ate in two days is a peach. At the same time, though, he’s not opposed to the idea of food either.

« Maybe? I wouldn’t mind eating something. »

« Great, » Lucas says, getting up from the bench, « I was waiting for you to say that. I may be a fairy but I’m always hungry. »

Renjun scoffs, not bothering to move.

« You’re not hungry, you just like to eat. It’s different. »

Mark leaves their bickering behind, distracted by the way the light reflects on the surface of the lake.

« It’s beautiful, isn’t it? »

It’s Donghyuck who said that, whispered into Mark’s ear.

« It really is. »

For a moment no one says anything, both lost in their own heads, painting the view in the back of their minds, stroke after stroke until it’s perfect, until it looks real.

« We’ll get married there, » Donghyuck says after a moment, « I like it more compared to the castle. It’s more_ magical_, don’t you think? » Mark wants to stop him, but Donghyuck doesn’t wait for him, he’s already picturing the scene in his mind. « The sun will shine on us and everyone will be there to watch. I’ll look beautiful and you’ll love me a lot. It will be great. »

Mark opens his mouth to speak, then closes it. Waits a moment. Tries again.

« That’s not how love works… »

He says, but it’s so weak that Donghyuck doesn’t catch it. He turns to look at him, humming as if to ask him to repeat again, but Mark can’t. His eyes are so big right now, excited and expecting, dreamy, and Mark can’t disappoint him. It’s not even about magic this time, Mark knows that the pendant around his neck should neutralize the effect that Donghyuck has on him, it’s just that he looks so young, so pure that Mark can’t find it in himself to make him sad. To disappoint him.

_You had the chance to tell him no, to say that you had to find another way, yet you didn’t._

Mina’s words flash back in his mind, scary. Donghyuck looks at him worriedly now, smile disappearing from his face and leaving a frown behind. _Oh, no, Mark doesn’t want him to stop smiling_.

« Mark? Are you ok? »

Mark is about to tell him, at this point, about the dream and what Mina said to him and how that terrified him. He opens his mouth to do so, but then they are interrupted.

« Hey, Hyuck, look who’s here! »

He jerks, surprised, and follows Donghyuck movement as they both turn to look behind them.

Lucas and Renjun have both gotten up while they were talking, and they’re now staring at someone that walks towards them. It’s two figures hit directly by the sun, and the first thing Mark notices is that one of them has a tail. A long, scaly, pink tail. Mark should be more shocked, but he got weirdly used to people having animal appendixes in the last couple of days.

Once they’re close enough, Mark sees that they are two boys, roughly around the same age as the rest of them. The first one, the guy with the tail, has bright pink hair – as pink as the tail, the two colors match very nicely – and a pair of huge, red eyes. On a second look Mark notices that his hands are also scaled, the points of his fingers vaguely resembling claws. He looks a bit like a link lizard, or a small dragon. His mouth is big and Mark is sure there must be an impressive set of teeth inside it.

The other guy has white hair and a disappointing lack of weird animal features. No wings, no tails, no horns. He looks pretty normal, like Donghyuck and Renjun do. The first thing he does as he comes closer is grab a floating Renjun by his ankles and spin him around until the other threatens to kill him. Mark likes this guy already and he doesn’t even know his name.

« Mark, » Donghyuck announces, getting up and tugging the poor boy with him, « these are Jaemin, » he points to lizard boy, « and Jeno, » he points to normal boy. « Guys, this is Mark, my fiancé. »

« Nice to meet you, » Jaemin says, « everyone has been talking about you since yesterday and we couldn’t wait for Donghyuck to introduce you! »

Jeno doesn’t say anything, he just waves shyly at Mark and goes back to tugging at Renjun’s legs.

« Nice to meet you too. »

Mark answers, not knowing what to say. He’s trying not to stare at the way Jaemin’s tail swings left and right.

« Jeno and Jaemin are my other best friends, but they had stuff to do this morning so they couldn’t come with us. »

Donghyuck explains, not bothered by the chaos that surrounds them – Renjun started floating too high for Jeno to reach him and the boy is now climbing over Lucas shoulder to grab him again.

He looks relaxed, happy, and Mark lets his worries go again. He’ll tell him later about the dream, when they’re alone.

For now, he just follows as the whole group walks back to the castle to get something to eat.

It’s just his second day here, he still has a lot of time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading until the end, have a good day! :)
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/firelxrd) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/firelxrd)


End file.
